Mission: Survival
by Bookdancer
Summary: Frank, Joe, Biff, and their girlfriends go camping in a forest for a week. However, what they don't know is that Dirty Lion's gang, that they put into prison, is out to get them. But what happens when Frank makes a horrific discovery? About their target?
1. Chapter 1

**Mission: _Survival_**

Chapter One

**Statement: I DO NOT own the Hardy Boys! Franklin W. Dixon does. This is the first chapter in Mission: Survival. Hope you enjoy! :)**

"Frank!" 17-year-old Joe Hardy screamed from the passenger seat of the boys' black van, "It's time to go!"

"Alright, alright", Joe's older brother, Frank, replied. "I'm coming! Chill."

"How can I?" The blond, blue-eyed, and muscular teen asked. "This is going to be the best camping trip ever! One whole week of hiking and camping in the forest with Biff and the girls! What's not to love?" He grinned at Frank as his brother sat behind the wheel, closing the door. Frank chanced a glance over at his brother, knowing what he would see. A sigh escaped his lips at the sight of Joe's blue eyes twinkling up at him.

"C'mon, let's go get Biff 'n' the girls. And, when we get there, you'll be moving to the back so you can sit with Vanessa, while I get Callie." Frank was talking about their girlfriends. Vanessa's blond hair and hazel eyes had charmed the younger Hardy almost immediately, a fact that made all of the gang happy. Ever since Joe's old sweetheart, Iola Morton, had gone up with a car bomb meant for the Hardy boys, Joe had never been the same until he met Vanessa Bender. Callie, Frank's girlfriend, had brown hair with the same color eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Mission: _Survival_**

Chapter Two

Three hours later, the six teens finally arrived at the edge of the forest. They all stepped out of the car, staring up at the huge trees, all thinking about how much fun they were going to have that week. They all hauled their packs out of the trunk of the car, slinging them across their backs. Frank locked the car and trunk. Then they started off into the trees, marking where the path went as they continued.

Biff Hooper, a seventeen-year-old blond, muscular boy, Joe's best friend, and the boyfriend of the third girl on the trip, Meg Colins, grinned at Meg as he marked a tree.

"Can't have us losing our way," He joked. The pretty red head smiled at his sudden boyishness, and, deciding to tease him, said, "Oh yes, we wouldn't want to find ourselves out here all alone, with nothing but our blankets and each other to keep warm at night." Biff's eyes widened at what she was implying. Meg gave him a little wink, quickly moving ahead to where the other two girls were walking. The three giggled at Biff, exchanging a series of high fives. The Hardys dropped back to where Biff was still standing, shocked, his mouth hanging open.

"Careful, Biff," Joe said, grinning impishly, "You wouldn't want to catch any flies." Biff glared at his friend, but snapped his mouth shut. Then the three boys burst out laughing, doubling over and finally falling to the ground. The girls looked at them, shaking their heads.

"Boys," Callie suddenly sang out, "It's not to late for us to leave, letting you silly fools continue on without us." All three quickly stood up and straightened their clothing, running their hands through their hair. Although, looking back later, they all wished that they had done just that, but then, none of them realized that the weeklong camping would turn into a seven-day trip of terror.

They soon reached a small clearing, and, realizing that it was beginning to get dark, decided to pitch camp. Two hours later, the six friends sat back, pleasantly full of the girls' cooking.

"Well," Joe said, smiling wickedly, "who's up for some ghost stories?"

"Sorry, Joe, but it's already eight o' clock, I'd rather turn in for the night." Vanessa replied. Everyone else nodded in agreement. He put on a hurt face, but nodded. They all climbed into the two tents, one for boys, one for the girls.

**Please note, I will try to update every two days, if I cannot, then I will try to tell you before hand.**


	3. Chapter 3

Mission: _Survival_

**Note: I do not own The Hardy Boys, Franklin W. Dixon does. Also, to:**

**Mrs. Frank Hardy- I know, she treats Joe with so little respect, and he's my favorite Hardy Boy. However, I did need her in the story, so here she is.**

**PeaceTia- There is no way I will stop writing this, it's for Language Arts, too! I am also having a lot of fun portraying the characters this way.**

Chapter Three

"Joe! Get up! Breakfast is ready." Frank said, shaking his brother awake, or, he thought ruefully, attempting to shake him awake. He sighed, but then headed outside, grabbing a bowl and heading towards the creek. He bent down, scooping ice-cold water into the bowl, grinning as he imagined his brother's expression. His smile faded as he stood up, seeing something, or someone, he thought, bolt backwards into the cover of the trees. Frank frowned, but figured it was probably just an animal.

He walked back towards camp, trying to reassure himself that there was nothing wrong. He sighed again, being a detective could really set your nerves on edge, he mused.

Joe looked up at the sound of his brother's footsteps. He frowned as he caught sight of the worried look on his face, but he smiled when he noticed the bowl of water.

"Trying to shock me awake, huh, bro?" He questioned. Joe smirked at the sight of his brother's eyes widening, bursting out laughing as Frank mistepped and stumbled backwards, flinging the ice-cold water onto himself.

Frank gasped involuntarily as the water landed, on _him_. He managed to frown at his younger brother through his now chattering teeth, before he glimpsed something in the corner of his eye. The teen frowned at the sight of his girlfriend, Biff, Meg, and Vanessa, who were rolling on the ground, laughing.

"The look on your face!" Biff managed to say through his laughter.

"Funniest...sight...ever!" Meg and Vanessa giggled. Callie had the decency to stop laughing, quickly standing up.

"I'm sorry Frank, but it _was_ pretty funny." She admitted. He sighed, but nodded, "It must have been, getting Joe to roll so close to the fire." Joe jumped as though scalded, scooting as quickly as he could away from the flames.

"Come on, lovebirds, funny boy, funny boy's girlfriend, and prettiest girl I've ever seen, let's pack up! We gotta get going." Biff ordered, finally smothering his laughter. Everyone nodded, quickly setting about, cleaning up the camp.


	4. Chapter 4

Mission: Survival

**I ****do ****not ****own ****The ****Hardy ****Boys. ****(Although ****I ****really ****want ****to) ****Also,****to:**

**Everyone who read and reviewed my story- Thank You!**

Chapter Four

Exactly two hours, eighteen kisses, and thirty-three held hands later, Frank, in the lead, stopped at the edge of a cliff, nodding appreciatively. He slung his pack off his shoulders, saying at the same time, "Okay, this is it, we're going to climb down here," he pointed at the fifty-drop inline, "stopping for lunch afterwards." Everyone nodded, dumping their packs on the ground, pulling out their rappelling equipment. Fifteen minutes later, they were all strapped in, ready to go.

"Ready?" Joe asked, his eyes traveling over the others, lingering momentarily on his girlfriend.

"Ready." They all confirmed. He nodded, then started down the incline, the others following. Halfway down, Joe felt the rope start to shake. He looked up, jumping, or as best you can while rappelling. A man wearing a ski mask was peering down at him while sawing at something in his hand. His rope. His heart skipped a beat as he thought, no, my lifeline.

"Frank!" He yelled. He looked around while trying to go down as fast as possible. Nobody was around to help him. He was always faster than everyone else, and they were currently a good ten feet above him.

"Yeah?" Frank shouted down.

"Help!" Joe screamed as he felt himself starting to plummet, fifteen feet off the ground. He scrambled desperately at the soil and rock, but only succeeded in scraping himself up, dislodging even more of the soil that had started to follow him down.

Frank looked down just in time to see his younger brother hit the ground. HARD.

"Joey!" He screamed.

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	5. Chapter 5

Mission: Survival

** I do not own The Hardy Boys. (Even though I really want to.) Franklin W. Dixon does. And I do not look like Franklin W. Dixon. Anyways, to:**

**Everybody who reviewed- Thank You! Their always welcome and helpful.**

**penguincrazy- Don't worry, the answer to both is in this chapter! :)**

Chapter Five

Joe felt his body hit the ground, but still managed to roll forward, his body absorbing the fall instead of breaking upon impact. He lay there, groaning, while he listened to shouts of his friends as they made their way down the rest of the incline.

Frank sighed with relief as he watched his brother. He peered down, certain that he saw him move. Then his instinct kicked in. He quickly yelled up at his friends, telling them to hurry up and get to the bottom.

They soon reached the ground, only Frank feeling the shiver of the knife as it cut through his rope before reaching the much wanted safety. As soon as he was out of his harness, he raced towards his brother, getting out the first aid kit as he went. He quickly knelt down beside the injured teen, automatically going for Joe's wrist; carefully feeling for the pulse that he wished would be there.

"Frank," Joe gasped, "I'm okay, I'm alive."

"Thank goodness." Frank breathed, feeling his brother's body for broken bones. Then he felt Joe moving, "Whoa, there, Joe. You just took a nasty fall. You should probably lay still for now, " but, of course, Joe pushed himself up on his elbows, grunting as he felt his bruised body moving. The two, along with their friends, who were hovering anxiously over Frank's shoulder, were beginning to think that, by some miracle, Joe had escaped serious injury, before Joe let out a cry of pain, falling back.

"What's wrong?" Vanessa asked, peering at her boyfriend.

"My ankle, I think it's broken." Joe replied, wincing as he sat up. Frank quickly rolled up the pant leg, taking in the swollen ankle. Biff knelt beside his friends, taking the ankle into his hands and gently feeling. He soon shook his head, saying, "It's not broken, but it sure is sprained. You'll have to keep off of it as best you can." Joe sighed, but nodded.

Biff and Frank quickly wrapped Joe's ankle with a bandage, leaning Joe against a tree so that he could rest and still see what was going on.

"We should probably set up camp." Callie said, looking meaningly over at Joe. Everybody nodded, went to their packs and got out bedrolls and tents, setting them up carefully.

"You comfterable?" Vanessa asked, looking at Joe scrutinizingly. He nodded, obviously annoyed about all of the attention. Then he remembered the reason he had fallen and gotten hurt in the first place.

"Frank!" He yelled, "We need to talk."

Frank quickly appeared, walking over with Joe's pack in hand. He looked at his brother, murmuring, "I saw him."

Joe looked surprised, but managed to ask, "The man in the ski cap?"

Frank nodded.

"But you didn't see his eyes." Frank replied.

"What do you mean?" Joe asked, curious.

The brown-haired boy looked at his brother, "They were yellow." Vanessa, Callie, Biff, and Meg didn't know what that meant, but obviously, Joe did.

He gasped, "Dirty Lion? But that's impossible. He's in jail." Frank nodded grimly, "And _we_ put him there."

"Who's Dirty Lion?" Biff asked, mystified.

Joe replied, blue-eyes darkening, "Duke Anan, or 'Dirty Lion' is the leader of a gang. Him, Jake Lugg, and Jordan Marlin used to sell drugs to kids. But that's not the worst of it. The three pulled pranks on people who'd insulted or hurt them, or in our case, put them in jail."

"Pranks?" Meg asked.

Frank shook his head, "They're not just pranks though, they're _deadly_ pranks."

"And now it looks like they've escaped from jail, and _we__'__re_ the next targets." Joe added. Their friends stared at them, and then Callie broke the silence.

"_Now_ what are we going to do?" She asked, gesturing towards Joe as she continued, "We can't go back up the cliff with Joe!"

Frank frowned, running his fingers through his hair in his signature thinking pose. He looked around, then at his friends, as he replied, "We may just be able to.

**PLEASE REVIEW! And also, for those of you who are Alex Rider fans, you may want to look at 'A New Identity'. It's my one other fanfic, and I hope you'll enjoy.**


	6. Chapter 6

Mission: Survival

** I do not own The Hardy Boys! Franklin W. Dixon does. To:**

**Everyone who reviewed- Thank You!**

Chapter Six

An hour later, a plan had been agreed upon. They would have to make a stretcher, tie it to some ropes, and haul it up the cliff, with Joe inside. It would take a few days to figure out and then make. So, they had decided to keep watch, letting people know if there was anyone approaching, while others made the stretcher or slept. Everyone quickly decided on times, with the exception of Joe, who wouldn't be able to move much. By the time the day was over, the six friends had decided how to make the stretcher.

Frank realized that Joe was nervous, "But about what?" he wondered. Joe jumped as he heard someone approaching. Twisting his head, he was able to see his brother squatting next to him.

"What is it?" Joe asked nervously.

Frank frowned, but replied, "That's what I was going to ask you. I mean, I've never seen you so jumpy before. What's wrong?"

Joe sighed, "Oh, that."

"Yes, that." Frank said.

Joe didn't even look up as he replied, "It's just that I was thinking, the gang is still here, aren't they?" Frank nodded, wondering what his brother was getting at. "Well, that means that they'll still be going after us, right?" Frank nodded again, all the while wondering about what was going on, since the friends ad already established all that Joe was stating. Joe finally looked up, saying quietly, "Why would they come after me first? I was in the middle of our group, and you were the one who accidentally killed Anan's younger brother. So what are they trying to do?" Frank stared at his _younger_ brother, just now realizing something.

"That's it." he breathed.

"What's it?" Joe asked, but, to his annoyance, Frank ignored him, saying, "Just be careful, Joe." and then he ran away.


	7. Chapter 7

Mission: Survival

** Hi, I know that you are probably really mad at me right now, as I did not post when I said that I would. All I can say is that I have decided to post every three days from now on, as I am starting to write slower. Also, the next four chapters, including this one, are going to be really short (like, one sentence short for the three after this). Know that this is for your own good. These four chapters are the only ones that I currently have finished, so I decided to split them up. I am sorry. Plus, to:**

**Everyone who reviewed- Thank you so much!**

**Mrs. Frank Hardy- Why are you surprised?**

**I do not own The Hardy Boys!**

Chapter Seven

Frank was silently freaking out as he went over his last conversation with Joe. He knew, and it was scaring him. Not that Frank knew, but the reason Dirty Lion's gang was going after Joe specifically. It was because Frank had killed Anan's younger brother. Now, he realized, Anan wanted Frank to feel like he had when Nick Anan had died. The only way he could do that was if Joe died. He sighed, turning around to go back to the camp. It was now dark. Checking his watch, he saw that it was 9:37 pm, and Frank was taking watch at ten.

**I know, I know! It is very freakishly short. I am SORRY! You have permission to terrorize me through your reviews. And please REVIEW!**


	8. Chapter 8

Mission: Survival

**I do not own The Hardy Boys. I am also sorry that I didn't post before this, but I was extremely busy with school, homework, and I had a babysitting job. Also, I was kinda hoping that someone would review. But no one did... 'sobs'. Why didn't anyone review? Do you not like my story anymore? Do you want me to stop? Is it because of the extremely short chapters that I will be posting until later? 'Cause I said that I was sorry. So, on with the extremely short chapter.**

Chapter Eight

At exactly 10:45 pm, Frank felt something conk him on the back of his head, causing him to black out.

**Now, you have my permission (kinda) to attack me about this one sentence chapter in your reviews. But, please, review. I need to know that you aren't just reading this because you're bored and have nothing else to do.**


	9. Chapter 9

Mission: Survival

**I cannot believe what I have done. It is unforgivable! Not only was the last one chapter, and two more, one sentence long, but I have delayed updating for two days! I am soooo sorry.**

**I do not own The Hardy Boys. To:**

**Everyone who reviewed (who, by the way, for those of you who may have been wondering, is not a person, it's just everybody who has reviewed)- Thank You! You make me so happy. :)**

**Rose ()- To the 'how will Frank be able to look after Joe' comment, errrr... let's just say, some of you Frank-saves-Joe-people may be mad at me later on...**

**Mrs. Frank Hardy- Yeah, I'm really sorry. It's just that I'm starting to catch up to myself, so I'm having to divide the originally made chapters...**

Chapter Nine

At exactly 10:47 pm, Joe awoke to the smell of smoke.

**Sorry! Please review! And please note, only one more one-sentence-chapter after this.**


	10. Chapter 10

Mission: Survival

**Okay, this is the last one-sentence-chapter that I will have throughout the entire fanfic (hopefully). I do not own The Hardy Boys.**

**To:**

**penguincrazy- Thank you, you were the only one who reviewed, so this chapter is for you (even if it is only one sentence, which I really am sorry about).**

Chapter 10

At exactly 10:48 pm, everyone, with the exception of Frank, who was still unconscious, and Joe, who was already awake, awoke as a scream ripped through the air.

**Again, really sorry about the one-sentence-chapter, but I repeat- this is the last one. But, please, review. Because, as a lot of you know, **

**Reviews=Motivation,**

**Motivation=Written Chapters,**

**and**

**Written Chapters=Published Chapters**


	11. Chapter 11

Mission: Survival

** Oh my goodness! I am so sorry that I didn't post. And you know what, I'm not even going to try using useless excuses. It's all my fault because I decided to read fanfics instead of typing up the chapter and posting. But yes, I am finally posting today! And, to:**

**Everyone who reviewed- Thank you!**

**penguincrazy- Don't worry, he's good.**

**Mrs. Frank Hardy- Here's some bad Callie for you (even if it isn't that much).**

** Please read! (It's a disclaimer. However, I am just trying this out, as I figured I was getting pretty boring with a simple 'I do not own The Hardy Boys' every time I posted. But, if you don't like it, please tell me in your reviews. If you do, I will stop.)**

** Disclaimer:**

**Me- Joe! Guess what?**

**Joe- What?**

**Me- I'm writing about you, Biff, Frank, Callie, and Vanessa! (Meg is an OC)**

**Joe- You put up a disclaimer, right?**

**Me- Uuummm**

**Joe- If you don't put up a disclaimer, I'll, I'll...**

**Me- 'says teasingly' You'll what?**

**Joe- I'll kidnap you, hang you by your toes, and cut off your body parts, one by one, starting with your fingers.**

**Me- ...**

**Joe- Well?**

**Me- Alright, alright! I do not own The Hardy Boys, Franklin W. Dixon does! There, I said it.**

**Joe- 'grins evily' Good.**

**Me- 'shivers'**

Chapter Eleven

Joe screamed, he couldn't help it. _To __wake __up __from __a __nightmare __only __to __find __yourself __surrounded __by __fire __might __have __something __to __do __with __that_, he thought, already struggling to lift himself up and out of the burning tent. Then he froze, _Frank!_, he thought. Then the blonde boy remembered that Frank was on watch. _That__'__s __one __good __thing, __then._ The blonded boy managed to haul himself to the tent flap before collapsing.

Biff spotted Frank's still body at the edge of the forest.

"Callie!" He yelled, pointing. Then he smelled the smoke. He looked to his left;nothing. He looked to his right; nothing. He turned around; Joe's tent was on fire! He saw Vanessa and Meg scrambling for water and sand to distinguish the flames out of the corner of his eye.

He himself ran towards the tent. He glimpsed blonde hair just inside and grabbed for the body attached to it.

Before, Biff had been set on finding Joe, so he barely noticed the heat and smoke. But, now that he had a hold of Joe, he began coughing, feeling the heat pressing down from all sides.

Somehow, he managed to sling Joe into a fireman's hold and stumble back into the fresh air. He slumped to the ground, exhausted, but watched as Meg and Vanessa put out the flames.

Then he heard, "Frank's awake!" Soon, Frank was stumbling towards them, then sinking down on his knees next to them. The fire was out, but the tent was completely ruined.

That meant that they had two one-person tents and one two-person tent left. An they had a total of six people. Not good, unless they... no, that would mean a girl and a boy sleeping in the same tent. But, maybe... Biff's thoughts trailed off as he watched the girls hand Frank an ice-pack and started to look over Joe to make sure he wasn't severely hurt.

"All clear," Vanessa eventually announced. "Somehow, he managed to only get a few minor burns. He may be coughing a bit from the smoke as well, but that should be it."

"Biff, you may be coughing, too." Meg added.

"And Frank, you'll probably have a killer headache later, but I think that's it." Callie told her boyfriend.

All of a sudden, a groan escaped Joe's lips, and his lashes fluttered as he blinked his eyes open. "And Sleeping Beauty is awake." Callie said sarcastically. Joe glared blearily at her, "Unconscious Victim is more like it." He remarked, scowling. "Your loss." Callie said, waving her hand dismissively, like Joe didn't deserve the title 'Sleeping Beauty'.

"Stop it. Both of you!" Frank snapped all of a sudden. "Don't you realize what's going on? Dirty Lion's gang is watching us. We don't know where they're going to strike next. Or when. For all we know, they're planning on drowning us when we're taking a bath."

Everyone was quiet for a few seconds, before Vanessa said, "Alright everyone, you heard 'im, and he's right. We can't start fighting, we'll just be signing our own death warrants out here. We've gotta cooperate and collaborate. If we don't..."

"Who knows what would happen." Joe went on. "They've already gotten in two attacks. Who's to say they won't try again?"

"Alright, then." Biff declared. "But they'll find that we don't back down, or fall, that easy. They'll have to try their very best if they're gonna get us."

** Yeah! I posted! And like I said above, I am very sorry for not doing so on schedule. Also, I will only be able to get in one more post before going on vacation. After that, it will be at least another week before Chapter Thirteen is up. Sorry.**

** Please review! (P.S. Reviews make me happy. Happiness makes me hyper. Hyperness makes me motivated. Motivation makes me write. Writing finishes chapters. Finished chapters get posted. Just a thought.) 'happy face'**


	12. Chapter 12

Mission: Survival

**Okay, so I'm back from vacation, and that horrible disease called Writer's Block is gone! 'does happy dance' I am really sorry for having all of you wait so long like that. So, thank you to:**

**everyone who reviewed- Thank you so much, you really made my day.**

**Mrs. Frank Hardy- I know, I really don't like Callie at all (she's my least favorite Hardy Boys character), and Joe is my favorite Hardy Boy, so the fact that Frank is dating her really does get on my nerves sometimes.**

**I do not own the Hardy Boys, Franklin W. Dixon does. And on with the story! :)**

Chapter Twelve:

It was dawn, and the sun was rising on the third day of the hike. Nobody knew what would happen today, only that they still had about three-quarters of the stretcher to complete.

Joe let out a groan as he woke up. His ankle really did hurt, and with the new addition of burns, he really wasn't feeling that well.

A bath in the lake would most definitely be welcome, he decided. Now all I have to do is get Frank to agree and take me there.

Frank wasn't feeling that well, either. So maybe that was why he agreed. Or maybe it was because he was feeling cocky. Or it could have simply been that he forgot to be careful. But, for whatever the reason, he did agree, and he did take Joe to the lake.

But what he didn't do was stay awake.

Joe sighed as he slipped into the water. It was perfect, not to cold, and not to hot. He gazed into the forest, noting Frank leaning against a tree. It was peaceful. Almost _too_ peaceful.

He ducked as something, no, make that some_one_, lunged at him and landed, splashing, behind him.

"Frank!" He screamed. "Frank!" Come on, Frank, wake up! Joe cursed as he felt someone grab his head and force it underwater, holding it there.

The blonde boy struggled, to no avail, as his would-be-killer refused to give up. And he was running out of air.

Then, as suddenly as it came, the pressure was gone, and Frank was haling him out of the water. They both collapsed on the ground, panting.

"Don't" pant "do that" pant "to me" pant "ever again." Frank gasped.

"I'll try not to." Joe replied.

The two were silent for a minute before Joe scowled and, turning to his older brother, said, " You just _had_ to say it, didn't you?"

**Okay, for those of you who didn't understand that last sentence, please go back to the previous chapter (Chapter Eleven) to see what he was talking about. And please review! I only got three reviews from the last chapter in one and a half weeks (thank you to _unobtrusivescribe_, _penguincrazy_, and _Mrs. Frank Hardy_), so I'm kind of craving them at the moment. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	13. Chapter 13

Mission: Survival

**Oh my goodness, has it really been this long? I really am sorry about not posting earlier, I was going to, but didn't have the chapter. I just wanna say thank you for waiting so patiently. To:**

**everyone who reviewed- Thank you!**

**penguincrazy- Don't worry, even if I have killed Joe in my dreams and a poem, he's gonna be alright here, even if it does get a little bit close.**

**unobtrusivescribe- Yeah, I really couldn't help myself there. In fact, I had Frank say it just so that Joe could say that last line! And yes, I do sometimes plan ahead. So I kinda have to manipulate the story line sometimes, which is what usually takes so long for me to get to a certain point.**

**I do not own The Hardy Boys.**

Chapter Thirteen

"And that's why all of the attacks have been focused on Joe." Frank finished. He and Joe had gotten back to camp, dried off, and then Frank had told everyone why Dirty Lion's gang was targeting Joe.

"I didn't want to tell you before because I was afraid you might panic or take silly risks." Frank said, the last possibility for his younger brother.

"What?" Joe asked, "You think I would take silly risks?" His friends slowly nodded.

"Yes." Vanessa told her boyfriend.

"But no what are we supposed to do?" Meg asked anxiously.

"Yeah, the stretcher isn't ready yet, and Joe definitely can't climb on his own." Biff said, ignoring said boy's protests.

"Well," Frank said slowly, "I think the only thing we really can do is get the stretcher done and protect Joe."

"Everyone nodded in agreement with Frank, except for Joe, who said, "I don't need protecting! And I _can_ climb! You just don't thi- ooommm!"

He looked accusingly at Callie, who had stuffed a conveniently placed sock into his mouth. She shrugged, "What? It made you shut up."

Vanessa, though giggling, said, "C'mon, Callie, take the sock out. We don't need him getting sick, too!" Joe quickly nodded his head vigorously."

Callie did so, but added, "Careful, Joe, we don't want your head to bounce away like your brain."

"Hey!" Joe cried in indignation. "Do you hear this, Frank? Do you hear what your girlfriend just said?"

Frank simply shrugged and and replied that he would start to work on the stretcher. Callie nodded, agreeing, and the two walked away. The other three looked at Joe in sympathy before following, leaving the latter to sit there by himself.

**For those of you who like Frank, sorry, but I really don't. You'll see in the next chapter that I see Biff as Joe's older brother more than Frank. I would also like to say that I really am sorry, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to get the chapters up, so I'll try to update as soon as I can, but I can't guarantee anything. Also, for those of you who are Percy Jackson and Lorien Legacies fans, I have an idea posted on my profile, so please check it out. Remember to review, bye!**


	14. Chapter 14

Mission: Survival

**I am sorry for the wait. Anyways, this is one of my favorite chapters, for reasons I can't tell you without giving away part of the story. Anyways, to:**

**everyone who reviewed- Thank you!**

**unobtrusivescribe- Okay, so I sort of lied to you. I reread what I have written and realized that Biff's not really like an older brother, but more of a ... I can't think of a good word or phrase. Anyways, it's like he's between an older brother and friend. That's the best thing I can think of to describe how he acts. And it's not just to Joe, either, but also Vanessa. You'll see.**

**I do not own The Hardy Boys. (Well, I own a lot of the books, but not the idea or writing. That's Franklin W. Dixon. :))**

Chapter Fourteen

They were about nine-tenths done with the stretcher when they heard the gunshots. The dirt around Joe exploded, bark from the trees spraying everywhere.

"Get to cover!" Frank cried, running to the trees with the three girls hot on his trail.

Biff started after them before he froze, turning around and running towards Joe. He did his best to dodge the bullets, but still felt the burning sting as one grazed his right hand.

Then Joe came into sight. He was obviously attempting to reach the trees like Frank and the girls, but still stay down. Biff heard him grunt and picked up speed, swearing when he saw the red stain spreading across Joe's side.

Finally, after what felt like hours but was probably only seconds, Biff reached Joe. He stumbled down next to him, picking him up bridal style. Then he ran as hard as he could towards shelter.

The whoosh of the bullets stayed with them, though, even when they reached the trees. Biff could hardly see. Dust was thick in the air, forcing him to squint and feel his way around the trees.

But the dust didn't stop the bullets. Dirty Lion's gang was still shooting, obviously aiming for Joe. Biff felt a flush of relief as he realized they couldn't see, either. They were shooting blind, the bullets getting farther and farther away.

Biff careened into a clearing, breathing in the clear air and thanking his lucky stars that they had all found each other. For, thirty feet in front of him, Frank, Callie, Vanessa, and Meg had all collapsed, panting, on the grass.

Vanessa looked up, startled, at the crashing sound coming from the trees. None of them knew where Biff or Joe were, so Vanessa was really hoping that it would be one, or both, of them. _Preferably_, she thought with a pang, _Joe_. Of course, she would be happy if it was Biff, but Joe was her boyfriend. Thankfully, it was both of them. But, she realized with horror, they were both covered in blood, and one was carrying the other.

Vanessa scrambled to her feet, momentarily panicked, before she began to run towards the two friends. She could hear the others running after her. The girl's hands fluttered, not knowing what to do, as Biff lay Joe on the quickly turning red grass.

"What happened?" She heard Meg ask.

Suddenly, obviously pushed over her breaking point, Vanessa turned and yelled at her friend. "What do you _think_ happened? Isn't it obvious? We came out here to enjoy the weather and camp, but now Joe is being targeted! His rope has been cut, his tent set on fire, he almost drowned when he went to take a freaking _bath_, and now he's been shot!" The last five words came out in a strangled, sobbing mess.

Biff hesitantly stepped forward, glancing at his girlfriend, before he kneeled down next to Vanessa, who had fallen to her knees, and pulled her into a hug.

"It's going to be alright." He murmured. "We're all still alive, and the stretcher is almost done. We'll probably be able to leave tomorrow." He kept on talking, distracting the distraught girl from Joe, who was being patched up by Frank, Callie, and Meg.

At some point, Biff realized that he was bleeding all over Vanessa, and gently pulled away. She sniffed, wiping the back of her hand against her eyes, trying to get rid of the tears that had fallen.

"I'm so sorry, Meg. I-I don't know what came over me." Vanessa said.

"That's easy," Meg replied, "anyone would break down if their boyfriend was being targeted. In fact, with Joe Hardy as your boyfriend, I'm surprised you didn't break down before now." Vanessa gave her a watery smile, obviously still upset about the scene she had caused.

Biff watched as Callie led Vanessa away to a small stream that ran through the clearing. Probably to clean up, he reckoned, as Vanessa's eyes were red and puffy from crying, her shirt also covered with Biff's blood.

Meg grabbed her boyfriend's uninjured hand and took him over to where Frank had just appeared from the trees, his arms laden with supplies he had scavenged.

"Here." Meg said, taking a water bottle. She poured it over Biff's wound before wrapping it in a bandage.

"Thanks." He told her. She answered with a peck on the lips, smiling at him.

Frank frowned as he knelt next to Joe. "The stretcher was saved. I managed to drag it into the trees. IT's almost done, too. I would say we have about 30 more minutes of work before it's complete. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until tomorrow to get out, since it's getting dark."

Biff nodded, but was quick to suggest they get the stretcher out now, so they could finish it tonight. Frank agreed, so the two boys headed out while Meg watched.

Vanessa came back with Callie at the same time as Frank did with Biff. The boys had apparently been successful, as they were carrying the stretcher.

The rest of the night passed quickly. The completed the stretcher, even if only three of the teens were working on it. Joe had awoken and was being cared for by Vanessa, while Biff was resting at his friends' requests. At six that night, Frank announced that the stretcher was done.

**And here's my longest chapter yet! (Sad, I know.) Please remember to review! (The button's down there. *points down*)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Oh my goodness, I can't believe I'm updating! I honestly wasn't sure when I would be (I kind of got tired of this fic, to say the truth). But, I decided to update all ongoing fics on my anniversary of my FF account. :) Thankfully for you guys, that includes this one. Anyway, to:**

**everyone who reviewed, story alerted, and/or favorite storied- Thanks so much, and sorry for the long (extremely long) hiatus!**

**And I'm sorry, but this is actually a short chapter. And I'm leaving you off on a cliff hanger. :P No peeking, though!**

**I do not own The Hardy Boys. (Oh, how I dream...)**

**Also, I wasn't sure where I left off in the last chapter, so I started off where I thought I did. After they fell asleep... So I didn't miss anything, but you'll have to pretend they already fell asleep. :P Sorry, but I can't think of a way to integrate that into the story without ruining it. Plus, it's not exactly important. C'mon, who wants to listen to Frank snore? :P**

****Mission: Survival: Chapter 15

As soon as the group woke up, they agreed to leave right away. They quickly packed up before moving out, Joe limping along as quickly as possible. They soon came to the cliff, glancing around wearily as they went.

"Are you sure about this?" Joe asked, obviously nervous about being lifted up a cliff with nothing but wood between him and the ground.

"Absolutely." Frank said, grinning. However, he was fretting on the inside. What if the ropes broke? What if Biff or I accidentally let go? What if the wood isn't strong enough?

They decided to leave the girls on the ground until Joe was safely at the top. Joe thought it was so the boys could forge ahead, look out for Dirty Lion. Frank and the others knew it was in case the ropes broke and Joe fell.

Thankfully, there was no need. Dirty Lion's gang seemed to have disappeared. All six friends made it safely to the top. Unfortunately, that was where their luck ended.

"You should stay in the stretcher." Frank said.

"Why? I can walk." Joe defended.

"You're too weak!"

"Oh, so I"m weak?"

"No, I mean- right now, yes, I mean-" Frank stumbled.

The rest watched the verbal fight like a tennis match, heads going back and forth. Finally, Joe stood up and ran/stormed off in the direction of their car, yelling, "I'm not weak, and _don't_ follow me!"

"Joe, wait!" Frank pleaded, beginning to run after his brother. The others followed. But, for a wounded teenager, Joe could move swiftly. It wasn't for a few hours before they spotted a muscular form collapsed on the path, blood pooling around the body.

**Ok, so some of you may be like, why is Joe weak enough to not be able to climb a wall but run for hours without stopping? But, for us diehard Joe fans, we know that when Joe's temper gets the best of him, he can do anything. :D Both a blessing and a curse.**

**Anyway, please review!**


	16. Chapter 16

***le gasp* Bookdancer is updating within a month? The world must be ending! :P So yeah, as you can see, I actually have managed to update within a month for Mission: Survival. That makes two chappies for this fic within one month! 'Yay me!' as London would say. (Not the city, the character from Suite Life.) However, I do have bad news to go with the good news. Unless some of my readers really don't like this fic. Then it's good news. No, I'm not going on hiatus again (really sorry for doing that, by the way). But... this is the last chappie! :( I'm not sure whether to be sad that I don't have a Hardy Boys fic to write anymore (not even one that I'm working on before publishing), or happy that I've finally managed to finish this! It took me over a year, people! That's my longest running fic! Ever! Anyway, to:**

**everyone who reviewed, story alerted, and/or favorite storied at all the entire time this fic has been published- Thank you so much! You guys are- well, I can't exactly say what kept me going, but the thought of you guys was what made me finally update. Even if it was shared with my idea for the anniversary thing. :P**

**Snidely Whiplash- Already told you what I thought of that review. If you're even reading this, just know I am sorry that you feel that way.**

**Stork Hardy- Not sure how that worked out. It wasn't months, but it was weeks. Still, though... I'd say it's an improvement. :)**

**I do not own The Hardy Boys. Believe me, if I did, you would know. There would be Joe whumpage in every single book.**

****Mission: Survival Chapter Sixteen

The five rushed forward, certain the body was Joe's. Frank fell to his knees and slowly turned the body over, letting out a sigh of relief when he looked at the face. While the build of the body was extremely similar to Joe's, and the man did have blond hair, once you looked properly at the face, it was obvious it wasn't Joe. The man they were looking at had a scar running from the right corner of his mouth down his jaw and stopping right above his collarbone. The man also had a nose that looked like it had been broken a lot, and his face was hard.

"Jordan Marlin." Frank breathed. He glanced up at his friends and girlfriend. "He's one of Dirty Lion's minions."

"You think Joe did this?" Callie questioned, eying the knocked out man.

"I'd say I did." The voice came from behind them, and the five teens whirled around to see Joe resting against a thick tree trunk. They hadn't seen him because they'd been focused on Marlin. Joe blushed when five sets of eyes turned toward him.

"Yeah, um, I managed to surprise him. Kind of. He heard me coming, but thought I was Dirty Lion. Still put up a good fight, though." Joe fell silent for a couple seconds. "So, uh, we going yet?"

"We're waiting for you." Frank replied. He raised an eyebrow. "Unless you need help?"

Joe knew what it was. A peace offering. Didn't really sound like one, but most when between the Hardy boys didn't.

"The fight... kinda took a lot out of me." Joe admitted.

Frank grinned. "C'mon, little brother." He and Biff carefully helped Joe up, helping him limp along the path.

Later, once they were all in the car driving to the closest hospital, Vanessa asked a question.

"What's going to happen to Dirty Lion and the gang?"

"Who knows?" Frank answered. "Personally I think the police should deal with them. I've had enough of them. Besides," The brunette glanced toward the trunk of the van, where Marlin was tied up. The girls had decided to carry him to the car and take him with them. "Marlin'll be able to give the police enough information. For now, though, I'm happy with what I've got."

**For those who didn't quite catch that, in the ending line Frank was talking about family and friend wise, not information. Sorry, it wasn't that clear.**

**And yeah, that's it. Abrupt ending, I know. I hate it too, but what can you do? The story writes itself. I just help guide it along a bit.**

**Again, thanks to the reviewers, story alerters, and favorite storyers. Also thanks to the favorite authors and author alerts.**

**Don't forget to review! :D**


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